Scouring applicator



,. Febgzs; 1947. G DMEYER y 2,415,635 J SCOURING APPLICATOR Fired Apri 19, `1944 Patented Feb. 25, 1947 UNITED STATES lPATENT, OFFICE Y' SCOURING APPLICATOR George D. Meyer, Cincinnati, kOhio Application April 19, 1944, Serial N0. 531,835

This invention relates to an applicator for applying a cleaning material to a floor or a similar hard surface. The device is also concerned with the cleaning or scouring of the surface after the material has been applied.

It has been found that certain dry materials in finely comminuted form can be used effectively to remove oil, grease and ground-in dirt from cer tain types of oor surfaces, particularly concrete. It is essential that the material utilized have substantial absorptive qualities and it is preferable that it be of such nature that particles of the lmaterial may be crushed or ground into intimate contact With the oil, dirt or grease which is to be removed. The material which has been found to be most effective for this purpose is finely divided particles of fullers earth, although there are doubtless other materials which will perform an equal or similar function.

In cleaning with fullers earth a grease-laden surface such as that conventionally found in garages, filling stations or similar places, the material is first spread over the surface to be cleaned and is then ground into the .grease film. The grinding operation causes the particles to be divided into still liner form and also causes them to amalgamate with the grease or oil comprising the film. After a suflicient treatment of this sort, the particles may be brushed off the surface and will carry with them the oil and grease with which they will have become integrally united. In the case of surfaces which have become thoroughly saturated to a point where the grease and dirt actually forms a layer projecting above the surface, it is preferable to combine a scraping operation with the applicating and scouring operations. Once the layer has been loosened by scraping it Will unit with the absorbent particles and can then be brushed off in the same way as previously described. The effectiveness of the operation of cleaning a grease saturated surface in this way is truly remarkable, and after a short period of treatment even those surfaces which have been continuously subjected to grease and oil drippings and neglected for long periods of time can be cleaned to a point where they are substantially restored to their original condition.

One of the objects of the present invention has been to provide an applicator device of simple construction which is adapted to distribute the cleaning material, preferably fullers earth, smoothly and evenly over the surface to be cleaned, and simultaneously with the distributing operation to grind the absorbent particles into 1y Claim. (Cl. 15.-124) Y 2 f intimate contact with the dirt or grease disposed on the surface. f

Another object has been to provide a structure of this type having a scraping edge or\ edges adapted to loosen and remove the accumulations of oil or grease which actually protrude from the iioor surface. I

Another object has been to provide a structur of this type embodying a fountain feed, which feed can'be regulated to distribute the material to the exact extent desired depending on the particular cleaning problem.

Another object has been to provide a structure in which the material container can be readily removed when empty and refilled for further cleaning operations.

Another object has been to provide a structure of the character described in which the feed aperture disposed on the base of the device is so configurated and arranged as to prevent accumulations of dirt and grease from clogging the feed opening.

Other and further objects and advantages will s be apparent from the further and more detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device representing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line 2 2, Figure 1, particularly illustrating the feed mechanism.

Figure 3 is a sectional View along the line 3 3, Figure l, particularly illustrating the means provided for attaching the handle to the base.

Figure 4 is a front perspective view particularly illustrating a scraping plate adapted to remove protruding accumulations of grease and dirt.

As best shown in Figure 1, the device Ill comprises the main elements of a base II, a handle I2 and a container I3 for holding the cleaning material during use. The handle IZis preferably pivotally secured in the U-shaped bracket I4 by the screw I5. The bracket I4 is firmly secured to the base by a pair of screws I6 which may be countersunk in the base in the manner illustrated in Figure 3.

The base I I is necessarily flat and is preferably formed from'a hard surfaced material, such as wood or plastic. Itis an essential feature of the construction that the lower surface of the base present to the surface to be cleaned a hard and unyielding surface which will be effective to grind up the particles of cleaning material and force them into intimate association with the grease or dirtvlm.

fed by gravity through the base and into the hollow cut-out opening I9. This portion preferably has sides sloping in two directions atleast, as illustrated in Figure 1, to prevent the accumulation of dirt and grease sufficient to block the feed aperture during the operation of the device, The container i3, which in the preferredembodiment is a bottle having a screw threaded neck, is adapted to fit into the cap securedto the upper surface of the base by attachment membersrsuch as the screws 2l. An opening 22 formed centrally in the cap is aligned with the opening 23 in the base to permit the material to flow from the `container outwardly onto the surface to be cleaned whenthe feed control stripis in open position. Y Y

The feed control strip 24 is disposed in a slot 25 extending transversely of the upper side of the base and is held in positionin this slot by the cap 20. This strip yalso has an opening 26 formed centrally therein which is adapted to be aligned with the opening 22 in the cap and the opening 23 in the base. be manipulated by hand from the upwardly bent projections 2l, these projections also serving as stop elements limiting the transverse movement of the strip in the slot. In the position .shown in Figure 2, the feed opening is completely closed because the opening 25 in the strip is outvof alignment with the opening 22 in the cap. In the reverse position the openings become fully aligned and a free flow of the material through the feed opening is provided. If desired, graduations may be provided on the extended end of the strip and on the upper surface of the base to indicate various stages of partial alignment for controlling the flow of the material.

The device is operated in much the same manner as a floor Wax applicator. At'the beginning of the cleaning operation, the feed control strip is adjusted to the desired positioning and thereafter the base is pushed around the area to be cleaned. As the cleaning material feeds onto The strip is adapted to` the surface of the floor, thepressure exerted on it by the base tends to amalgamate the material with the grease and dirt so that it can be vsubsequently removed by sweeping. When heavy accumulations are encountered, the scraper edge I8 is applied to these accumulations and, as previously stated, operates effectively to lift them from the surface. When the material is exhausted it is obviously a simple matter to unscrew the container I3 from the cap 20, rell it from bulk material and then replace it for further cleaning. Y

Although simple in construction, the device has a very pronounced utility for the particular purpose specified.

Having fully described my invention, I claim: A device for removing dirt and grease from a `,hard surface comprising; a base element having a hard unyielding undersurface adapted to engage the hard surface from which the dirt and grease are to be removed, handle means on the base element for moving said base element over the hard surface and at the same time applying considerable pressure to said base element for causing a grinding and loosening action between the undersurface of the base element and the hard'surface being cleaned, said base element inoluding outwardly sloping sides providing sharp edges adapted to contact with and scrape the hard surface to be cleaned as the base element is moved back and forth over the hard surface, container means carried by the base element for feeding a dry, comminuted cleaning material to the hard s urface beneath the base element, and said base element including a feed passage eX- tending from said container means through the base element, said passage ilared as it opens to the underside of the base element so as to provide a chamber' for the cleaning material in the underside of the base element, said chamberv constructed and arranged so that the material may spread out as it is fed to the hard surface to be cleaned and may thereby be pressed against the surface to be cleaned.

GEORGIE D. MEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of thisA patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Reardon June 26, 1923 

